Update on easy child and the mania; plus lots of questions

It turns out that easy child was having mania brought on by the zoloft. The doctor said that he thinks easy child is Bipolar but that it takes a long time to be sure of the diagnosis. But that is the direction he is leaning. He had us stop the Zoloft and double the risperdal (1mg now). And we will see him on Monday for a follow-up.

So, all you Mom's of BiPolar (BP) kids - what do I expect?? What do I need to look out for and be aware of? How bad do things get? Will easy child really be a difficult child??

It's hard to think of her as a difficult child. difficult child makes life a living nightmare. easy child is still her sweet self even with all she is going through.

Thanks in advance for any help. And thank you for being here and being such a great support.

Even with my difficult child being BiPolar (BP), there's a lot I don't know about it but I would think that it just depends on the person and how "severe" the BiPolar (BP) is. With mine, he doesn't do some of the textbook symptoms. Non-medicated, he's either ok or raging. But now that he's medicated, when he cycles, he gets Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and cleans or rearranges the house. Constantly. And not in good ways. He also used inappropriate things to clean with such as good towels to clean grass stains off his shoes (white towels to boot of course) or CLR to clean his shoes.....things like that. Some of this, though, I can never figure out if it's the BiPolar (BP), the ADHD or just him not pulling his head out of a particular oriface long enough to look around at what he's doing. I would think though, that if your easy child has a stand alone BiPolar (BP) diagnosis, it could be easier to figure out triggers, symptoms, signs, etc. and address them as they come along or head them off if you see them coming. Just MHO though so take it as you will.

I would start charting any out of the ordinary behaviors or "symptoms" and see if you can find a pattern. Like I said, with difficult child he cleans when he cycles so now I know what to look for with him. Also, he tends to start having strange dreams when he's headed into a cycling phase and sometimes has other sleep issues. You and easy child will just have to figure out what her specific "things" are and find ways to adjust or address them. Good luck and sending thoughts and hugs.

I hope the doctor isn't diagnosing bipolar based on her reaction to the Zoloft. It isn't only people with bipolar disorder who are made manic by antidepressants. Why some people are thrown into mania by SSRIs is unknown but it isn't confined to people whith bipolar.

I guess you document what happens with the medication and see which ones help, and which ones make it worse. Eventually, you will get a combination that works and then she will be stable and do well for awhile. As she grows and her brain develops, the medications will need to be adjusted.

You need to treat the symptoms and enjoy the times she is stable. Cognitive behavioral therapy might be helpful, since she seems to have an understanding that something is wrong and is still acting like a easy child. She will probably be more open to it then a typical difficult child.

Read some books. Kay Jamison wrote an unquiet mind. She has bipolar, but she is a psychiatrist. People can do well.

The doctor was looking at Bipolar before the mania. I think it confirmed his opinions. easy child has an aunt with Bipolar and a cousin that has schizophrenia... and a lot of relatives that self medicate.

easy child understands that she will most likely take medicine for the rest of her life. I compared it to me taking my thyroid medicine or her grandpa taking blood pressure medicine. She's very accepting about it.

And I'm very thankful that I won't have to go through anything alone. Thanks

I hope the doctor isn't diagnosing bipolar based on her reaction to the Zoloft. It isn't only people with bipolar disorder who are made manic by antidepressants. Why some people are thrown into mania by SSRIs is unknown but it isn't confined to people whith bipolar.

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Sara, thinks for that bit of information. I didn't know that it could cause mania outside of bipolar.

I don't have a bipolar child, but I hear a lot of people mention the book, "The Bipolar Child" on this board. I have the book, "Raising a Moody Child" written by a psychiatrist who works at OSU hospital and it addresses both depression and bipolar in children.

I would keep a daily mood journal charting her mood and behaviors. That will allow you to identify a pattern as well as track what is working and what isn't.